Industry stats show busy local airports, hotels a bit challenged by an increase of rooms to fill, and leisure and hospitality bosses continue to hire.

Tourism’s days of hot expansion out of the recession may be over. Yet the year’s modest progress isn’t shabby considering the numerous challenges from wobbly economic prospects limiting business travel to international tensions trimming foreign visits to the anticipation of Disneyland’s upcoming Star Wars attraction, which may delay some trips.

Here’s a look at three key yardsticks of the region’s tourism trade …

Busy skies

Why does your favorite local airport seem so crowded?

Don’t blame security checks as it’s been a busy year so far for Southern California airports.

According to data from the six major airports, 62.9 million passengers went through the area’s terminals in 2017’s first seven months, up 2.8 million in a year or a gain of 4.7 percent.

Much of that regional passenger gain occurred at giant Los Angeles International. Its 37.1 million passengers were up 1.2 million year to date, a gain of 3.3 percent.

Long Beach Airport had the biggest percentage gain in the area: Its 2.2 million passengers were up 43 percent in a year.

Hollywood Burbank Airport’s 2.6 million count was up 13.6 percent. Ontario Airport had 2.6 million passengers so far in 2017, up 6.8 percent. And San Diego Airport drew 12.6 million, up 5.3 percent.

The only Southern California travel decline was at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, as its 5.9 million passengers were off 1.8 percent vs. 2016.

Too roomy?

Is the local hotel industry too eager to expand?

Southern California hotels appeared to be struggling with a growing supply of empty rooms this summer. In August, for example, all five local markets tracked by CBRE Hotels had dips in occupancy rates vs. a year ago, while room rates fell in Los Angeles and Orange County compared with 2016.

Local hotel owners have added competition this year amid an industry building surge. Additionally, hotels may be paying a price for increasing room rates and making visitors rethink their lodging plans.

Year to date, all five Southern California markets had higher average room rates vs. the first eight months of 2016 but only two markets — Palm Springs and San Diego — filled a higher share of rooms in 2017.

Here’s how local markets have fared, year-to-date through August vs. 2016’s results for the same period for average room rates and occupancy, according to CBRE Hotels data …

Los Angeles: Averaged $211 a night, up $1 in a year; 84 percent full vs. 85.4 percent a year ago.

A strong tourism rebound from the recession has gotten hotel developers busy.

Atlas Hospitality reported that in 2017’s first half, 10 hotels opened in Los Angeles with 2,527 rooms total; three opened in both Orange County (461 rooms) and Inland Empire (411 rooms), and two in San Diego (433 rooms.)

And Atlas says developers have filed plans in the five-county area to build 410 more hotels with 67,805 rooms — though nowhere near all will be built any year soon.

Hiring spree

Workers and wages started 2017 in growth mode at Southern California’s leisure and hospitality industries.

In the five-county area, leisure and hospitality bosses employed 1.07 million in the first quarter, up 30,500 or 2.9 percent in a year, federal jobs figures show. This job category includes workers at theme parks and other local attractions as well as staffs at restaurants, both fast-food and sit-down eateries.

San Bernardino County had the fastest pace of leisure and hospitality hiring with a 5.8 percent increase in a year. Job growth in all Southern California industries was 2 percent.

The average weekly wage for leisure and hospitality workers, many of whom do not work full time, was $541 in the first quarter after rising 7 percent in a year.

Orange County had the industry’s largest wage gain at 8.7 percent. In an era where bosses scramble to find qualified workers, wage growth at all Southern California businesses was 7.4 percent.

Here is how Southern California’s leisure and hospitality bosses hired and paid, by county, for the first quarter vs. first three months of 2016 …

How California airports fared in the latest J.D. Power quality survey. John Wayne Airport took top ranking for “large” airports with a 796 score out of a possible 1,000 points. That was up 31 points from a year ago. Next came … (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

… second highest ranked in the state was was Ontario International. It scored 782, ranked No. 10 in the medium airport category. That score was up 1 point from 2016. (File photo)

San Jose’s airport scored 770, good for a rank one notch below Hollywood Burbank. Its score was up 9 points from 2016. (Courtesy: Travel San Francisco)

San Francisco International scored 757, good for a No. 9 rank in the mega airport category. Its score was up 32 points from 2016. (Courtesy: Travel San Francisco)

San Diego International scored 757, good for a No. 8 rank in the large airport category. It improved 7 points from 2016. (Courtesy: Visit San Diego)

California’s worst? Los Angeles International scored 712, second worst among giant mega-airports. Only two airports scored lowers across all three categories, though LAX’s score was up 10 points from 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Caulfield)

Jonathan Lansner has been the Orange County Register's business columnist since 1997 and has been part of the newspaper's coverage of the local business scene since 1986. He is a native New Yorker who is a past national president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Jon lives in Trabuco Canyon -- yes, a homeowner -- and when he's not fiddling with his "trusty spreadsheet" at work you can likely find him rooting for his beloved Anaheim Ducks or umpiring local lacrosse games.

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